Healthy Living

Do you have to sneeze a lot? Or do your lips tingle when you eat nuts? Maybe you're allergic. But how do you recognize an allergy? Allergy usually gives a combination of complaints. Usually the symptoms occur after a few minutes to hours, sometimes only after two or three days (especially with contact allergy)

An overview of the main symptoms.

The eyes:

• itching
• teary eyes
• thick eyelids
• dark eye circles

These symptoms may indicate an allergy to pollen (hay fever) or to dust mites.

The ears:

• itching in the ear canal
• fluid in the ear canal
• temporary hearing reduction
• earache

The airways:

• stuffy and/or running nose
• a lot of sneezing
• wheezing
• stuffiness
• barbed cough
• coughing up mucus

These symptoms usually indicate an allergy to pollen (hay fever) or to dust mites.

The gastrointestinal tract:

• vomiting
• abdominal pain
• bowel movement problems
• poor appetite
• lots of saliva

These symptoms may indicate a food allergy. Known allergens are peanut, nuts, fish, shellfish and cow's milk. An allergy to medicines (e.g. penicillin) can also provoke such reactions. Allergic reactions to food and medicines can be very severe and lead to shock.

The skin:

• itching
• result
• swelling

These symptoms may indicate a food allergy, a pollen allergy, or a contact allergy (for metals such as nickel, rubber components, cosmetics, hormone ointment, patches, etc.)

The nervous system:

• irritable
• listless
• headache

General complaints:

• edema (retaining fluid): for example, swelling of lips, eyelids, mouth or throat
• sleep disorders
• hyperactivity
• * fatigue
• concentration disorders
• joint complaints
• grow poorly

Shock
In some severe cases, the allergic reaction is not limited to one organ, but is a shock. Then the whole body reacts to the allergy. All blood vessels in the body then dilate, the person has almost no blood pressure, and can even die.
These severe reactions can occur with any kind of allergy, especially in wasp or bee stings. Even when a person is injected with medication that they are allergic to, that person can go into shock.

Allergy tests are required to know if it is an allergy and especially to which allergy is involved.
When a contact allergy is suspected, 'sticky tests' can be carried out.
Prick tests make sense when an allergy is suspected on food or respiratory allergens (pollen, dust mites, etc.). A droplet of allergen extract is dripped onto the skin, and then a needle is pricked through the droplet into the skin, so that a small amount of the allergenic substance enters the skin.
Allergy to food and respiratory allergens can also be diagnosed with a determination of a particular type of protein in the blood, the IgE. This test is also called rast test. Usually this test is slightly less reliable than the skin prick test.

No allergy test provides 100% clarity:
A negative result does not always mean that there is no allergy, this is what we call a false negative result.
A positive result can mean that there is an allergy, but that the allergy found does not cause the symptoms.

The 'golden test' is the elimination provocation test: this test involves stopping contact with the suspected allergen (elimination). When the symptoms decrease or disappear, the patient may be exposed to the suspect allergen (provocation). When the symptoms come back, the real proof of an allergy is provided. These elimination-provacation tests should ALWAYS be carried out under the supervision of an expert.